Article supporting rack



1966 w. J. NEILL 3,235,095

ARTICLE SUPPORTING RACK Filed Jan. 16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 2 F|G.3

INVENTOR. MALI/M1 d. IVE/LL idcbviw g fiz.

flTTOP/VEXS Feb. 15, 1966 w. J. NElLL 3,235,095

ARTICLE SUPPORTING RACK Filed Jan. 16, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 22a. A 28d I NVEN TOR.

WILLI IM J. IVE/LL i iuaaagufafl ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,235,095 ARTICLE SUPPORTlNG RACK William J. Neill, 3041 Bremen, Columbus, Ohio Filed Jan. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 338,078 4 Claims. Cl. 211-113) The present invention relates generally to suspension devices and specifically to a novel article supporting rack for use in plating, painting, food processing and the like, in conjunction with a conveyor system. i

In general, the article supporting rack of the presen invention comprises a hanger portion including a bar provided with grooves, a clip portion including a novel attaching portion removably mounted in said grooves, and a support portion for supporting articles to be suspended.

As one aspect of the present invention, the novel construction of the grooves and clip portion permits the same article supporting rack to be used for a variety of different types and sizes of articles.

As another aspect of the present invention, the novel construction of the clip portion permits disassembly of the rack for cleaning purposes with a minimum of effort and time.

As a further aspect of the present invention, the novel construction of the article supporting rack permits low cost manufacture and fabrication using standard manufacturing procedures.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a versatile article supporting rack for handling different sizes of articles as well as different types of articles.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an article supporting rack which may be disassembled with a minimum of time and effort for cleaning purposes and the like.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an article supporting rack which is so versatile in use that only a small inventory of such racks is necessary.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an article supporting rack incorporating the aforementioned advantages which may be manufactured and fabricated at minimum cost.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred forms of embodiments of the invention are clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the hanger portion of the article supporting rack of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial bottom view of the cross bar of the hanger portion shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the grooved metal strip attached to the cross bar of the hanger portion shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the clip portion of the article supporting rack of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view illustrating the clip portion attached to the hanger portion shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modification of the article supporting rack of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a side view of a modification of the clip portion of the article supporting rack of the present invention to be be used with the modification shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side view of a further modification of the clip portion of the present invention to be used with the modification shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a partial oblique view of the attaching portion of the modified clip portion shown in FIG. 7 taken perpendicular to lines 9-9 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 10 is a partial oblique view of the attaching portion of the modified clip portion shown in FIG. 8 taken perpendicular to line 10-1G in FIG. 8.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the hanger portion, indicated generally at 20, of the article supporting rack of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1.

Hanger portion 20 comprises a hook 22 to be attached to a conveyor system and a cross bar 24 securely fastened to metal strip 26 provided with grooves 27. It is important to point out that cross bar 24 could be a single piece of rolled metal or other suitable material provided with grooves without departing from the spiritof the invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the clip portion indicated generally at 28 of the article supporting rack of the present invention includes a generally U-shaped resilient attaching portion, indicated generally at 30, having legs 32 removably mounted in grooves 27 as best illustrated in FIG. 5. One of the legs 32 is provided with an inturned loop portion 34 restricting the open end of U- shaped attaching portion 30 to provide a secure connection between clip portion 28 and hanger portion 20 but still permitting easy disassembly of the article supporting rack for the necessary purposes of cleaning and adjustment of spacing between adjacent clip portions 28. It is important to point out that the closely adjacent grooves 27 permit a variety of spacings between adjacent clip portions 28 thereby permitting articles of different sizes to be suspended for processing with no change in the article supporting rack except adjustment of the clip portions 28.

Still referring to FIG. 4, clip portion 28 also includes support portions 36 and 38 extending outwardly on opposite sides from bar 24 and provided with upturned end portions 40 and 42 for supporting articles to be suspended.

FIG. 6 through FIG. 10 illustrate one modification of the article support rack of the present invention.

A perspective view of a modification of the article supporting rack of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 6, and comprises a hanger portion, indicated generally at 26a, including a hook 22a to be attached to a conveyor system and a vertical bar 24a. Vertical bar 24a is provided with pairs of oppositely inclined grooves 27a, bisecting each other.

Referring to FIG. 7, a modified clip portion, indicated generally at 28a, includes a resilient generally U-shaped attaching portion 30a, best illustrated in FIG. 9, having legs 32a removably mounted in grooves 27a as best illustrated in FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 9, one of the ends of legs 32 is provided with an inturned loop portion 34a restricting the open end of attaching portion 30a to provide a secure connection between hanger portion 20a and clip portion 28a yet still permitting easy dis assembly of the apparatus. Referring again to FIG. 7, clip portion 28a also includes support portion 3641, extending outwardly from bar 24a and provided with an upturned end portion 42a for supporting articles to be suspended.

FIGS. 8 and 10 illustrate a further modification of the clip portion of the present invention indicated generally at 28b. As best seen in FIG. 9, the modification concerns support portion 3612 which is turned upwardly along the portion adjacent to attaching portion 360, then extends outwardly from bar 24a adjacent upturned end portion 42a.

In operation, hook 22 is attached to a conveyor means with resilient clip portions 28 fitted into grooves 27 and being spaced according to the particular size and type of 3 articles to be processed. The articles are suspended from upturned end portions 42 and transported by the conveyor means to the equipment to be used in the particular process. The article supporting rack of the present invention may be used for plating, painting, food processing, or other dipping and article processing procedures.

When cleaning the article supporting racks becomes necessary, the clip portions 28 are simply removed and cleaned as the hanger portion need not contact the liquid in the process tank to become contaminated. As can be readily seen this eliminates much time and effort in the processing procedure as the hanger portion can be returned to the starting point and clean clip portions then attached to begin a new cycle.

While the forms of embodiments of the present invention as herein disclosed constitute preferred forms, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. An article supporting rack comprising, in combination, a hanger means comprising a cross bar including side portions provided with a plurality of laterally spaced vertical side grooves; and a plurality of laterally spaced resilient clip members each of which includes a generally U-shaped attaching portion removably mounted in said vertical grooves, said attaching portion having downwardly extending legs, one of the ends of said legs being provided with an inturned shoulder portion restricting the open end of said attaching portion, each of said clip members also including support portions extending outwardly from said bar and provided with upturned end portions for supporting articles to be suspended.

2. An article supporting rack comprising, in combination, a hanger means comprising a cross bar including side portions provided with a plurality of laterally spaced closely adjacent vertical side grooves; and a plurality of laterally spaced resilient clip members each of which includes a generally U-shaped attaching portion removably mounted in said vertical grooves, said attaching portion having downwardly extending legs, one of the ends of said legs being provided with an inturned shoulder portion restricting the open end of said attaching portion, each of said clip members also including support portions outwardly turned from said bar and provided with upturned end portions for supporting articles to be suspended.

3. The article supporting rack defined in claim 1 Wherein said side portions and vertical side grooves are formed by corrugated metal strips.

4. The article supporting rack defined in claim 2 wherein said side portions and vertical side grooves are formed by corrugated metal strips.

References fitted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 784,076 3/1905 Shute 2441 958,261 5/1910 Litle 20668 1,020,791 3/1912 Baldwin 248-303 1,039,359 9/1912 Brown 211-118 2,462,431 2/1949 Schneider 211-113 2,847,378 8/1958 Mundell 204-297 PORElGN PATENTS 231,537 10/ 1960 Australia.

1,072,683 3/ 1954 France.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN ARTICLE SUPPORTING RACK COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A HANGER MEANS COMPRISING A CROSS BAR INCLUDING SIDE PORTIONS PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY SPACED VERTICAL SIDE GROOVES; AND A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY SPACED RESILIENT CLIP MEMBERS EACH OF WHICH INCLUDES A GENERALLY U-SHAPED ATTACHING PORTION REMOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID VERTICAL GROOVES, SAID ATTACHING PORTION HAVING DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING LEGS, ONE OF THE ENDS OF SAID LEGS BEING PROVIDED WITH AN INTURNED SHOULDER PORTION RESTRICTING THE OPEN END OF SAID ATTACHING PORTION, EACH OF SAID CLIP MEMBERS ALSO INCLUDING SUPPORT PORTIONS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID BAR AND PROVIDED WITH UPTURNED END PORTIONS FOR SUPPORTING ARTICLES TO BE SUSPENDED. 